Ward grew up in Windsor County and chose to return after college to attend Vermont Law School. He began his prosecutorial career as a Deputy State’s Attorney in Rutland and Windsor counties and has served as Windsor County State’s Attorney since January 2020— first by appointment, then elected by voters in 2022.
In that time, his office of six attorneys has taken on roughly 2,000 cases a year, cleared a paralyzing COVID backlog, and rebuilt a court calendar that works for all parties.
Ward is running for re-election driven by three key priorities:
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We focus our top resources on violent crime, specifically domestic and sexual violence. By collaborating proactively with victim advocates, law enforcement, and restorative justice partners, we keep victim safety at the center of our work—always.
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Real public safety requires addressing the root causes of crime, and too often the people who come through our courts are caught in problems the justice system was never built to solve.
This term, I spearheaded the expansion of our region's Drug Treatment Court, giving individuals struggling with severe addiction the intensive support, accountability, and treatment they need for lasting recovery. Next term, I'll fight to reform Vermont's mental health response and ease the local housing shortages that leave people cycling between homelessness and incarceration.
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An elected prosecutor must stand up for justice both inside and outside the courtroom.
Amid national slides toward lawlessness, corruption, and federal overreach, I remain committed to defending democratic norms, restoring public trust in our justice system, and protecting every member of our community from federal law enforcement abuse.
That duty extends to the integrity of the courts themselves — including making sure new tools like AI enter our courtrooms carefully, with fairness protected at every step.